The patent discloses and claims a useful, novel, and unobvious invention for an automobile instrument panel, including an air bag device and a seamless outer cover.
One issue that has recently been a concern with air bag devices installed in automobile is that the air bag must preserve the aesthetic appeal of the automobile, but at the same time, deploy outward through the instrument panel with minimal interference. In a hard molded instrument panel, the air bag must be able to break through the instrument panel, but the instrument panel itself must be structurally sound and resistant to inadvertent fracturing at or near the point where the air bag is meant to deploy. For this reason, there is a need in the industry for an improved air bag door in a hard molded instrument panel.
An instrument panel for an automobile passenger compartment comprises a substrate with a pre-weakened outline formed therein defining a panel door. A chute is mounted to the substrate and a metal door with a hinge portion and a door portion is mounted to the chute. The hinge portion is attached to the chute and the door portion is pivotally attached to the hinge portion. The door portion is further attached to the panel door by a plastic inner door panel that is vibration welded to the panel door through apertures within the door portion of the metal door.